


Incandescent

by rantheon



Category: Dark Nights (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Blood and Injury, F/M, Historical AU, Slow Burn, roya is so emotionally repressed he steals a lantern, you might be a thief or mercenary but you're covered in blood and that's not good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27280687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rantheon/pseuds/rantheon
Summary: A nightly stroll leads Ikuya to a secluded garden in the temple... and a young man bleeding in the grass.
Relationships: Roya/Ikuya (Dark Nights)
Kudos: 6





	Incandescent

**Author's Note:**

> \- happy 1st anniversary, DN! you brought me so much joy (and now i will do the same for Roya)  
> \- historical au with swords? prince Roya x priestess Ikuya? let’s goooo  
> \- i haven’t played the game in months so i’m just eyeballing the characters based on the bits and pieces i remember *prays i got their personalities mostly right*  
> 

Ikuya wanted to enjoy a nightly stroll through the temple garden, but it was hard to do that when there was a man slumped in the bushes, cloying the air with the stench of blood.

She quickly ducked behind the wall, holding her robes down to stop them from fluttering. Her heart thundered beneath her ribs as questions flashed through her head― _who was he? Was he hurt? What was he doing in one of the sacred gardens of the head priest?_

“I can hear you, lady priestess,” said a low voice.

Ikuya clenched her sleeves, giving into her curiosity to turn back and peek a little. The man was quite a distance away and it was too dark to see him clearly, but she was certain that he was staring right back at her.

A chill ran over Ikuya’s skin; there was something almost foreboding about the eyes she couldn’t find.

“Mind your own business and hurry along.”

For a moment Ikuya was relieved to be allowed to leave―in fact, she would’ve spun around and ran for her life if it weren’t for the smell clinging to the back of her throat. She only ever smelled blood this thick at the temple’s infirmary.

_I don’t want to know what happened to him, but he’s... probably bleeding a lot, right?_

She contemplated approaching him―it was her duty as a priestess to help the weak and injured, especially since night creatures frequently roamed the surrounding forest at night. In fact it was just beyond the tall walls enclosing the garden; even with protection wards, there was a reason this place does not see many visitors.

Whoever he was, it wouldn’t feel right to leave him be. Taking in a breath, Ikuya straightened and stepped into the garden. “I’ll take you to the―”

“No need. Leave.”

“...You need treatment.”

“I only need a few minutes. Pretend you never saw me. I am merely the wind.”

Ikuya frowned but ultimately headed back to her quarters―only to return a few minutes later with a basket full of ripped pieces of cloth, bandages, and medicine bottles, much to the man’s shock. Leaves rustled as he scurried back further into the bushes, almost like a small animal. Unable to resist a smile, she bravely moved closer.

The man sounded slightly annoyed as he hissed, “I told you to leave. You’re being a nuisance.” 

“Speak for yourself. There’s blood all over the grass now.” The lantern in Ikuya’s hand lit up after she whispered an incantation.

“This garden isn’t regularly maintained. Who would even―”

The man, surprised by the sudden light, raised a hand to his eyes. Ikuya could see him in his entirety now: he was quite well-built and tall, coming up to her waist even though he was sitting on the ground. His clothes, which may have been lavish once, were barely now holding together, the large slashes across his shirt exposing countless wounds. Most were jagged, like that made from claws.

Ikuya’s breath hitched. _Night creatures_.

“My, you’re quite a charming priestess. I feel bad about sending you away now.”

A teasing tone pulled her out of her thoughts. The man’s hand lowered to reveal a set of golden pupils beneath mussed gray-blond hair. His eyes appeared to glow, or perhaps it was the lantern being reflected. Ikuya’s lips pressed into a hard line.

“You haven’t sent me away yet. Will you let me approach you?”

“...If I refuse?”

“Hmm.” Ikuya glanced around, touching a finger to her chin. “I carried this basket all this way and it’s _awfully_ heavy, so I might rest and wait for another injured man to nurse.”

“I knew I wasn’t your first rendezvous.” The man let out a small laugh; he also didn’t seem to be inching away from her anymore.

_Did seeing each other’s faces loosen him up a bit?_

Taking it as a sign to approach, she pushed through the bushes and knelt in front of him, setting the lantern and basket between them. The man opened his mouth to protest but then went very still after noticing her trembling hands.

“You don’t have to―”

“I do. For _my_ peace of mind.” Ikuya’s voice was firm and unyielding. No matter how frightened she was, she already made the choice to return here. “You can lean against the tree behind you. Oh, um. We should clean the blood off first.”

Thankfully the man seemed to understand and, after unhooking his cloak, carefully removed his shirt. As if feeling bashful, he turned away to avoid her gaze; it might’ve been cute if it weren’t so dark and he wasn’t drenched in blood.

Ikuya worked quietly, using pieces of cloth to wipe away the blood, then dousing others with the medicine she’d brought. The man did not move except to help pull the lids off the small bottles or raise his arms so she could wrap bandages around his torso―probably out of consideration for her, since she couldn’t help flinching whenever she looked at him.

_His skin is so cold... How much blood did he lose?_

Soon the air smelled a bit better and Ikuya could breathe properly again.

“...You’re quite experienced with this. Do you really wait for injured men at night? Is that why you visit this desolate place?”

“Usually my injured men come to me in the infirmary,” Ikuya answered casually. “Please go there next time, if you don’t want to be reported to the constabulary.”

The corner of his lips twitched. “But it’s so stuffy there. It smells pretty awful, too. Gives me a headache whenever I get close.”

Well, Ikuya understood where he was coming from. The temple consistently burned incense and an assortment of dried tree bark to ward off the night creatures, and it’s been said to be a bit _too_ strong for those who weren’t used to it. Still, emergencies were emergencies; it made no sense to Ikuya why he’d seek refuge in an empty garden of all places.

The man gave her a side glance. “Then again, if _you’re_ there, maybe I―”

“Go visit one of the clinics then. Or perhaps, don’t make a habit of getting into fights you can’t win.”

“Ah, I often win my battles, little rabbit. Tonight was just an... unexpected case.”

Ikuya frowned. “Rabbit? Who are you calling a rabbit?”

The man lifted a hand to her cheek in reply, which made her back away immediately.

“I jest, lady priestess. You just looked so cute.”

“...You have quite the smooth tongue.”

“Unfortunately it never works on the people who need to hear it.” There was an odd look in his eyes as he said this, a flash of sincerity that vanished as quick as it came.

A sly smile then crept onto the man’s face as he closed his eyes and slumped against the tree. It didn’t take long for his breaths to steady itself. Whether it was an aftereffect of the medicine or the general feeling of nearly dying, it seemed he’d fallen asleep.

Without his annoying smile or cold eyes, his face had softened up, giving it an almost boyish charm. He looked quite dashing now that he was cleaned up.

Ikuya watched him silently as she packed her things back into her basket. Her conscience will be fine now that she knew the man wouldn’t bleed to death but―what now? Initially she planned to bring him to the head priest, but that might raise questions she didn’t want to answer. It wasn’t like she could sneak him out by herself either.

His pale face contorted in pain. Ikuya remembered the neutral expression he had while she was treating his wounds.

_...I should ask someone to help._

Ikuya stood up and draped his cloak over him, tucking it behind his shoulders so it wouldn’t fall. She whispered into the lantern to leave behind a message, which turned the flame a blue-streaked silver, before she picked up her basket and fled the garden.

\---

_If you wake up before I return, stay and wait for me. I’ll bring food and water and someone to carry you inside. Please rest._

\---

Dainty footsteps trailed behind the priestess until she disappeared behind the wall. The garden went silent.

The man in the bushes opened one golden eye, then let out a soft sigh as he stood up and fixed his clothes into place. The way he casually stretched and brushed leaves off his pants made it seem like he was at a picnic; one wouldn’t think he was injured at all.

And Roya wasn’t―not really. The wounds were not deep enough to endanger his life, but he must’ve looked on the verge of death because of the blood. He thought back on the nosy priestess and her worried expressions and started to smile.

Her frowns looked more like pouts. Really, how cute.

Roya picked up the lantern at his feet; the priestess’s words were a faint echo when he put it up to his ear. He thought about it a moment, then fastened the lantern to his belt.

His words seeped into the night air as he glanced toward the garden entrance. “Sorry, little rabbit.”

Roya kicked up some dirt to hide the bloodstains on the grass, then quickly scaled a nearby tree. He kicked himself off from one of the higher branches, his hands just barely catching the top of the garden walls, and pulled himself up onto the edge. The noise of the night immediately rushed at him in waves, loud and heavy. 

A quick glance below confirmed that the things chasing him were gone. However, the gray haze oozing from the trees stirred slightly―it seems other night creatures were lingering nearby.

_Goodness, what do I have to do for a peaceful forest walk?_

It was, of course, impossible to associate the word ‘peaceful’ with a forest infested with night creatures, but Roya willfully ignored this fact whenever it suited him. Tonight had been such a case, when a sudden craving for a stroll consumed his sense of rationality and drove him to slip out of his bedroom terrace.

He’d expected to run into night creatures, but not five at once. What’s more, a sixth had shown up, more dangerous than anything he’d seen before, and chased him down like a dog. It was dumb luck that he managed to slip away and find the temple’s safe zone.

_...The house must’ve noticed by now. I should go and greet them._

Roya hopped down from the temple wall, ignoring the prickling sensation that crawled over his skin after passing through the temple’s protection wards, and headed north. The distant glow of his silver lantern guided his way.

As soon as the gates came into view, lit up by lanterns and enclosed by constables, Roya immediately drew his cloak closer to hide his clothes. With a wide grin, he sauntered up to the small group of his family’s guards standing by.

One of the men caught his gaze and gasped. “Your―”

Roya raised a finger to his lips. “It’s after ninth bell. You’ll cause a ruckus.”

“I believe _you_ are the one causing the ruckus, my lord,” argued a second man. He turned to the man who had spoken first. “Alert the constables and the others. Send for an emblem-less carriage as well.”

Experience taught Roya that saying anything would be more cumbersome, so he let himself be fussed over and berated until he was eventually shoved into the carriage and sent home.

Two lines of servants stood by the entrance; the majority of them who were used to their young master’s escapes wore stiff smiles as they greeted and ushered him inside. Roya went upstairs and changed out of his horrid clothes, tossing his torn shirt onto the floor of his bathroom. He stared at it for a moment before kicking it into the corner.

_I’ll deal with that later._

After scrubbing the blood off to every inch of his life, he returned to his room to find his younger brother waiting by the door with a plate of snacks. Roya grinned and took the plate, scooping a pastry into his mouth.

“I see you’re home early. How was work?”

Junoru’s eyebrows were knitted into a frown. “...Brother.”

“Yes.”

“Did you go out to the forest again?”

“Yes.”

“You...” A long sigh left Junoru’s lips. “Just because Father isn’t home right now doesn’t mean you can―”

Roya waved a hand. “There was something I needed to see. No worries, I left behind a note this time.”

“You mean this one?” Junoru pulled out a small card from his pocket. “‘ _Salutations, I’m taking a walk. Tell Juju I love him._ ’ Please write proper letters instead of suicide notes.”

“You sound so morbid. What made you think that? I only stated the truth.”

The youngest master of the house stood in place, lips thinned and white, looking as if he wanted to say something. Roya crunched on another pastry.

“...Are you hurt?”

“No.”

Junoru gave him a look, probably internally calling him a liar. Roya shrugged. He _did_ get hurt, but only a little. It didn’t even hurt anymore, and didn’t his face now flush with color? Even a toddler can survive a few scratches from night creatures if they were treated quickly enough.

Roya answered more questions, which only deepened Junoru’s exasperation. It stung that his younger brother did not believe him but no matter how bitter he felt, he kept up his pristine smile.

Eventually Junoru left with a nod and Roya walked out to the terrace, shivering from the breeze. The noise of the night was quiet, so quiet he couldn’t even hear his own heartbeats. In the distance towards the southwest, the temple’s golden lanterns looked like small eyes in the haze. He thought about the silver one he’d left beside his bed.

Roya closed his eyes, unable to shake the memory of the priestess’s hair.

\---

“Just like the wind, huh...”

With a hard expression, Miyoko watched her friend Ikuya walk through the bushes and mutter to herself. One would think the priestess was looking for a lost pet, not a mysterious bloody man.

Miyoko thought about her night so far. Her shift had started at seventh bell with a city-wide search for the duke’s son; it was not so uncommon an occurrence, and rarely amounted to anything serious, so only a few constables were dispatched to assist the duke’s guards. Then appeared the priestess two hours later, discreetly asking for help with a troubled face.

_I thought the head priest had done something again, but this..._

“So you’re saying a stranger who was attacked by night creatures snuck in here? And you bandaged him up? And haven’t told anyone except me?”

“Yes?”

“Ikuya!” Miyoko was distressed. “You should’ve called for someone else to do it! What if he’d hurt you?”

“He didn’t have a weapon so I thought it was fine.”

“...Well, if an adult man’s stupid enough to hunt night creatures without a weapon, maybe he deserved what he got.”

“Don’t say that! I think he was attacked―he was bleeding so much. You’d do the same if you were me.”

Miyoko had nothing to say to that, but a sliver of worry burrowed in her stomach. It would be one thing if this happened on the city streets, but the problem had personally crawled into a private section of the temple like a little rat. Not to mention, if the attack meant that the night creatures were getting closer to the city...

_I’ll talk to the head priest about the wards, then ask Lioji and the chief about the southwest patrols. The man’s testimony might be useful if we can find him._

“You’re absolutely sure he didn’t use the main entrances?”

“Yes. The talismans haven’t been touched.”

A grimace twisted Miyoko’s expression; at this point she wondered if the man had been a ghost. She looked around the garden, taking note of the half-buried bloodstains and circling footprints. It also seemed a few dirt markings had been left behind on the wall.

_...Not a ghost, then. Maybe he was a squirrel._

Miyoko wrote the information down in her notepad. With little to go by, searching for the man would be difficult. Ikuya stated she didn’t see him clearly either.

She thought that the stranger must be quite impressive, to be shrouded in mystery yet have Ikuya’s attention so easily in his grasp.

“I’ll see what I can do. You should go and sleep now, Ikuya.”

“Are you leaving? I can prepare some snacks and tea before you go.”

The offer was tempting but Miyoko shook her head. “I still have some work left. There’s a new pair from the capital being transferred in.”

“This late at night?”

“Unfortunately. Lio and I got stuck as babysitters.”

She was not looking forward to meet them. All the capital constables she met were always a smidge too arrogant and endlessly complained about the work dealing with the haze, making them exhausting to deal with. Miyoko desperately hoped the new transferees would not stay very long.

A rustling noise made her look back. Ikuya was slumped over the bushes again.

“...Is there something else?”

“Um. Actually, yes. Do you see a lantern anywhere?”

“I don’t think so? Was it important?”

“Hmm. Never mind, then.”

Miyoko led Ikuya back to her quarters and handed a note to one of the head priest’s attendants before departing for the central constabulary. The lanterns along the streets cast a warm glow over the city, almost as bright as if it were day; the forest haze was but a mere speck in the distance. It was silent save for her boots clacking against the stone roads.

Her partner Lioji was waiting by her desk, rifling through a few documents with raised brows. He handed them over at her questioning gaze, and as Miyoko skimmed through the details, she understood why he’d looked surprised.

“Hunters... From the capital?”

“The duke must have requested experts.”

Miyoko clicked her tongue. “Doesn’t mean they can handle the haze right away. They also seem a bit...” The word _unhinged_ was stuck in her throat. “Well, we’ll find out when we meet them. Are they still with the chief?”

“Yeah. They should be out soon.” Lioji tapped on the desk as he thought about something. “You went to the temple, right? Anything to report?”

Miyoko quickly gave him an overview about the missing night-creature victim, telling him to keep hush about Ikuya’s involvement. It would give them all a headache if the head priest found out―he would be second in line to personally main whoever dared to approach Ikuya alone at night. Miyoko and Lioji, naturally, were first.

“Golden eyes,” Lioji murmured. “Kenriji?”

Miyoko nodded. “All things considered, it’s probably him.”

“...That’s going to be a problem.”

“The chief will handle it.”

The two had a moment of silence for the incoming paperwork.

The chief in their prayers soon arrived with two men behind him. They were dressed in the constables’ uniform, but with the capital’s golden pin instead of their territory’s silver. Miyoko stiffened.

One of them had the left side of his face completely hidden by a white fringe, a stark contrast to the rest of his black hair. The other wore a mask that covered the lower part of his head, starting from his nose all the way down his throat. In addition, aside from the standard Constabulary-issued sword, numerous other scabbards hung from their waists.

Lioji was almost impressed. “Guess those hunter titles aren’t for show.”

The chief introduced them. “This is Linh and Chain. They’ll be joining us for the next month.”

Linh was the one with the mismatched hair; he grinned at Miyoko like he was watching an entertaining play. Beside him, Chain looked completely uninterested. The pressure radiating from him felt stifling.

_...They really are weirdos, huh._

\---

_Roya! You absolute fool! You... I don’t even know what to call you! ...Don’t feign ignorance with me, I saw the shirt in the bathroom!_

\---

_Let me out, please? I promise next time I― Ah, I mean, there’s no next time! Juju!_

\---

_Curious how the flame hasn’t gone out yet. Ah, at least the color’s very pretty. Grant me sweet dreams, little rabbit. Make my fly of a brother standing outside learn to have mercy._

\---

“...Ah.”

“Oh, you actually went to the infirmary this time,” said Ikuya, smiling brightly. At the entrance of the room, she could see the blond man sitting up on the cot. He did not look as pale as she remembered, and a different air now exuded from him, but it was undoubtedly the same man from the garden. “You look much better now.”

The man gawked at her, looking quite stupefied. His expression stiffened after he heard what she said next.

“I’m glad you made it home safely, my lord.”

“...You knew?”

“The priests earlier told me to take care of the ducal house’s young master, who had been injured last night from an unlucky encounter with night creatures. I found out just now.” Ikuya met his eyes; she suddenly thought about how they sparkled brighter at night. “Will you let me approach you?”

To her surprise, the man gave a small smile that made her unconsciously flinch. “Of course, lady priestess.”

_I thought he was going to refuse again. I guess he gave up on being difficult now that he’s not trying to hide anything._

_...The cowardly way he’s acting is very annoying, though._

Roya Kenriji.

The man from the garden. The city’s young master.

If Ikuya was being honest, when she’d returned to find him gone last night, a tinge of anger twisted inside her. She did not like that he lied, that running away came so easily to him. At the same time, she felt a little relieved; the man clearly drew a line between the two of them so she had no reason to cross any further.

Right now, they were only priestess and patient. Ikuya was more comfortable with this sort of arrangement.

“...Should I take my shirt off again?”

“Please do.”

Roya averted his eyes once he did, just like last night; this time, however, the dark red color creeping up his throat and ears was _very_ visible. Ikuya inwardly thanked the priests for this opportunity to fully appreciate his expressions.

It had only been about half a day but he truly did look better compared to his previous miserable state. His fleshy-red wounds were already half-closed and no longer required bandages; they must have been shallower than she thought. There was a faint trace of the haze circling on his skin but no visible symptoms of infection. Despite his weak pulse, he looked as healthy as your average adult.

If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought this young master had been trying to coddle a dying night creature that scratched him up.

There wasn’t much for Ikuya to do, but she re-bandaged his wounds and used a talisman to drive out the remaining haze for good measure. Roya took in a sharp breath, his face briefly turning white.

“Sorry, I cast a blessing. Did that hurt?”

“...A little.” Roya laughed, as though it couldn’t be helped. “I’m actually quite weak against incantations.”

Ikuya slowed the process so it would be gentler. “What about the smell? We’re quite close to the main hall. Do you have a headache?”

“...It’s tolerable.”

Once the blessing was done, Ikuya started to head for the door. “I pray for your full recovery, my lord. Oh, and you don’t have to pretend to sleep this time. I’ll leave quietly.”

“Wait.”

A chill ran over her skin; the man was staring at her intently. The hesitation holding back his tongue from the moment she stepped into the room was now replaced by a familiar cold tone. He had used it when they first met.

Ikuya decided to go first. “Please relax, my lord. I won’t ask about last night. I won’t tell anyone either.”

The two of them were currently not in the actual infirmary, but a private guest room on the same floor. Both the head priest and Roya’s younger brother, Junoru, requested to keep this affair away from prying eyes; even though Ikuya knew very little about the family that ruled the territory, she could garner a guess why.

“...You’re not curious?”

“Hmm, a bit. No, that’s not right―I want to know everything.”

“But you won’t ask?”

“I will forget everything if that is what you desire, Your Grace.”

Hearing the title made Roya tense up, but then he started to smile. A passing cloud dimmed the light streaming in through the window; his eyes brightened up immediately.

Ikuya unconsciously flinched.

“What an obedient priestess you are. Alright. Since you’re curious, I’ll let you ask one question.”

“...Only one?”

“Choose wisely, little rabbit.”

Ikuya pondered over this for a while. A million questions sprung up in her head―about the night creatures, about him―but they did not feel right to say. Or rather, they did not feel like the questions she should be asking. She thought about the line and how far she wanted to step through, if she even dared to.

Ikuya finally asked, “How did you get in and out of the garden?”

All emotion slipped from Roya’s expression. “...Is that your question?”

“Yes. That one gnawed at me the most.” Ikuya recalled about the mini-investigation she and her friend Miyoko did last night. “You obviously did not enter through proper means. I want to know your escape route in case I need it. Oh, your brother seemed to really worry for you, so be careful with your battles next time.”

Ikuya decided that she feared the possibly scary answers of her other questions. Considering that this may be their last time together, knowing would be of no use to her.

However, if Roya was able to slip past the talismans without even the head priest knowing, then she craved that information. She could finally shed the title of ‘the priestess who never left the temple.’

_I can finally go to the places the priests always talked about! I have Miyoko and my incantations, so I’ll be perfectly fine!_

Swept up in her excitement, Ikuya started planning out an itinerary in her head when a choked noise turned her attention back to the cot.

Roya was laughing―the loud, blithe type. He looked like a child, then, even more so than any other expression she’d seen so far.

“I hopped over the walls. That is all I will tell you.”

_...Walls? The temple’s? Hopped?_

“Ah, and about last night. I reconsidered. You are absolutely not allowed to forget it.”

Ikuya’s blood went cold. She had just received the scariest answer of all.

**Author's Note:**

> \- "Linh" is my hc for Chain's partner, who's hardly ever mentioned. don't mind him too much  
> \- the Miyoko/Lioji/Chain bit was purely self-indulgent. plus, drama loves Chain, so let's see if it gets anywhere 👀


End file.
